In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Canada’s main fear was containing the virus, and rightly so. Although we have faced pandemics throughout history, the scope and effect of them have been particularly challenging.
For the first time, we’re seeing new insights that paint a picture of COVID-19 mortality in Canada. In the recently released Canadian Cancer Statistics Report, insights show that in 2020, COVID-19 became the third leading cause of death in the country, responsible for approximately 16,000 deaths in Canada. This accounts for 5. 3 percent of all deaths, behind core diseases at 17. 5 percent and far behind cancer at 26. 4 percent. Tragic stories of loss and the profound impact of the pandemic on families and communities around the world, and here in Canada.
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However, the recently released report also shows that amid the fight against COVID-19, a significant crisis has continued to quietly claim lives.
Cancer remains the leading cause of death in Canada. According to new insights from the Canadian Cancer Statistics Report, an additional 239,100 people in Canada are expected to be diagnosed with cancer in 2023 and 86,700 are expected to die from the disease. These numbers are expected to increase further in the coming years, due to the development and aging of the population. Not to mention, we have yet to see the effect the pandemic will have on cancer diagnoses in the long term.
The lockdowns have led to delays in early detection, detection, diagnosis, and treatment, which can lead to later-level diagnoses with a worse prognosis. In the first six months of the pandemic, there was a 25 percent relief in diagnostic imaging and a 20 percent relief in the number of cancer surgeries. A Canadian modeling study estimates that disruptions in cancer care during the pandemic could lead to more than 21,000 additional cancer deaths in Canada over the next decade.
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Let me be very clear: the low number of deaths from COVID-19 in Canada, compared to other diseases such as cancer and core disease, does not diminish the severity of the virus. Rather, I think it reflects swift and collective action. measures to ensure that the mortality rate is kept as low as possible.
Compare our rates to the United States, for example, which had a COVID-19 death rate nearly 3 times higher than Canada’s in 2020. We can characterize a decrease in the mortality rate due to several factors, adding innovative research, immediate distribution, and adoption. vaccines, government interventions, network support, and significant investments and resources.
The lesson is obvious: when we work together and make concerted efforts to address what we see as a pressing need, we can fight a fatal threat.
If we have invested so much determination in managing a virus responsible for 5. 3 per cent of deaths, we will have to apply the same point of attention and urgency to cancer, a disease that ranks as the leading cause of death in Canada. responsible for more than a quarter of all deaths in our country.
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that this is possible, though not without collective efforts. This is a challenge that needs to be tackled in isolation.
While brilliant scientists have been quick to scale up the vaccines, their wide availability (whether through vaccination centers, network clinics, or local pharmacies) has played a central role in their success. The availability of COVID-19 tests in everyday places like grocery stores and pharmacies has encouraged their common use. Messages from the government and public health agencies have increased the severity of the virus, making us realize the importance of following public health measures. Finances for businesses and Americans who have weathered the pandemic have helped mitigate some economic impacts. All of those efforts, while imperfect in many ways, have certainly helped reduce COVID-19 death rates.
Now we believe in a similar technique for cancer. If we, as a society, made cancer a priority.
Imagine if cancer screening tests were available, nationwide, to everyone who wants them. Imagine if more money could be made available for cancer research, to help skyrocket discoveries. Imagine if our formula one of physical care where everyone had a number one health care provider and no one had to wait to get preventative or life-saving care. If no one had to pay out of pocket for cancer drugs that would save their life.
If you can believe those things, then you can believe in a long run where cancer isn’t so deadly. A long-term with fewer diagnoses and better fitness outcomes. What the COVID-19 pandemic has shown us is that it is imaginable if we act. and recognize cancer as a crisis.
Andrea Seale is CEO of the Canadian Cancer Society
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